LEDs vs Elephants

We’ve done a couple of stories about LEDs dissuading cormorants and turtles from becoming entangled in fishing nets. In a similar vein, a trial is about to be conducted in India to see if the humble LED can dissuade elephants from invading villages on the edge of wildlife reserves. Presumably the elephants are sneaking in (insofar as an elephant can sneak) and wreaking havoc at night for authorities to think that lights might be the answer. They have already tried fences and supposedly elephant proof trenches to no avail. The elephants are still destroying crops.
Solar powered LED lights are a cheaper and less labour intensive option. The trial will involve using cameras to see how wild animals react to the LEDs. If, as they say in the Deccan Herald, “it is proven that they hesitate to move towards the illuminated area”, the experiment will be extended.
One hopes they are successful, but a herd of hungry elephants who have already negotiated trenches and fences is not going to be easy to stop.

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